PHOENICS SEGREGATED SOLVER
Initial data &
Boundary Conditions
• To get a converged numerical
solution the solver visits each
transport equation separately.
Solver U1
flow case with energy equation and
laminar regime.
• The solver does a loop visiting the
momentum equations, energy equation
and ,at last, the mass (pressure)
Sweep
• Consider for example a 2D (XY plane)
Solver V1
Solver TEM1
Solver P1
(mass conserved field)
equation and return.
• A SWEEP is completed after the Solver
has worked on each transport
Compare residuals
against a reference
equation.
End
Solver Sweeping Direction(1)
• Each transport equation is visited by the solver individually;
• The computational domain is not tackled at once by the solver. It slices the
domain in slabs (XY plane) along the Z direction.
• The sweep starts from low Z to high Z, or IZ = 1 to IZ = last.
• The solver sweeping direction has a direct influence on the computer time
and some times on the convergency rate.
• For 3D simulation align the Z direction along the main flow direction. This
practice propagates faster the upstream information to the downstream
direction
Solver’ sweeping direction: two dimensional cases (2)
• For 2D cases employ the XY plane; the solution is faster because the solver
has only one slab to sweep. Furthermore, it solves at once the whole slab .
Y
Z
4 sweeps
Z
X
• Workshop #1: compare the CPU time for the
cylinder in cross flow using the XY and YZ
planes. One can download the q1XY and
q1YZ.
X
Y
COMENTS Case 2D
Cilindrical-Polar, 3D
Cases and BFC
• Both simulations have the same inlet values, fluid properties, grid
size and reference residuals.
•The XY plane requires 5200 sweeps to fall below the threshold level
and stop simulation. The YZ plane doesn’t reach threshold even
after the 8000 sweeps
• XY CPU time = 22sec (5200 sweeps) YZ CPU time = 222s (8000
sweeps); it is a 10 times faster if one uses the XY plane.
• One concludes that using XY plane reduces the CPU time and also
speeds convergence!
• The Z direction is the Phoenics natural choice to be the axis
parallel to the coordinate system axial direction.
• For 3D it is highly recommended to choose the main flow
direction coincident with the Z axis.
• For 3D BFC it is mandatory that the main flow direction be
coincident with the Z axis. BFC two dimensional cases one must
choose the XY plane only.
Initial data &
Boundary Conditions
•The next sections
Solver U1
to access and control
Solver V1
convergence.
• The type and the use of
Sweep
introduces Phoenics’ tools
Solver TEM1
Solver P1
(mass conserved field)
these new tools are closely
related to the solver’s
Compare residuals
against a reference
segregated structure.
End
Getting a Numerical Solution is a Difficult Task
1. Grid independent - if you increase the number of nodes the
solution does not change significantly.
2. Convergence– the solution achieves a constant value, it does
not oscillates neither changes with further interactions;
3. Negligible Residuals – if the mass, momentum, energy (and
other variables) residuals are negligible one can say the
numerical solution satisfies GLOBALLY the conservation
equations.
• Usually if you get convergence but not get negligible residuals
your solution is converged to a non-physical (wrong) solution!
– A number of devices are provided in PHOENICS to monitor and
control the convergence of the solution. They are fully described
at ´Convergence Monitoring´ link and are briefly presented now.
1. STUDYING RESIDUALS
THE RESIDUALS & CONVERGENCE MONITORING
• The residuals are the quantities used in PHOENICS to monitor the
convergence procedure. These are the imbalances in the FVE, defined as:
• During the computation, the residuals are printed by Earth to the VDU, or
are displayed graphically.
• The frequency of display update is controlled by the PIL variable TSTSWP,
which is set in the menu from the Monitoring controls/Residuals display
frequency panel.
• The default value of 1 prints to the screen, which is suitable for batch
operation. A setting TSTSWP = -1 activates the graphical display.
THE SPOT VALUE (GROUP 22)
• In addition to the display of residuals to the screen, the values
of chosen variables for a single cell can also be displayed.
• A monitoring location (or cell) is selected in the Q1 file, or
from the menu by setting the variables IXMON, IYMON, IZMON
to the values of IX, IY and IZ of the cell to be monitored.
• The monotoring spot can be set on VR/Output box.
MONITORING SPOT VALUES AND RESIDUALS ON SCREEN
SPOT VALUES
RESIDUALS
NORMALIZING THE RESIDUALS
• The quantities printed out are, in fact:
where the sum is extended to the current slab (in PARABolic cases) or to the
whole field (in elliptic cases).
• When the sum of errors divided by RESREF falls below 1.0, solution for
that variable stops. When this happens for all variables, sweeping stops.
• EARTH can calculate values for RESREF, based on the net sum of fluxes
for a variable, if the PIL variable SELREF=T.
•The supplementary variable RESFAC acts as a tolerance - a setting of 0.01
means that sweeping stops when the errors are 1% of the reference fluxes.
RESREF , RESFAC & SELREF (GROUP 15)
• RESREF, the reference-residual for a solved-for variable
• It is evaluated by RESREF = RESFAC*(Typical flow rate of the variable)
• The "typical flow rate" is the sum of the absolute values, for all cell
volumes and cell faces, of the convection fluxes, diffusion fluxes,
sources and transient terms.
• If SELREF = T Earth evaluates internally RESREF
• If SELREF = F RESREF is user set.
• Users should be aware that the employment of SELREF=T, with a value
of RESFAC which is the same for all variables, is a convenient but crude
method of controlling the cut-off point of the solution procedure. To set
SELREF = F, and set the individual RESREFs for themselves may be
safer, when obtaining a well-converged solution is especially important.
VR SETTINGS:
SWEEPS
RESFAC
SELREF
1.1 WORKSHOP#2:
ANALYSING RESIDUALS
WORKSHOP NOTES – CONVERGENCE AND CONTROL #2
• Load core library case 240. This case deals with the entry flow in a 2-D
parallel walls channel.
• Now make the changes:
– y size from 1 m to 0.5 m;
–NY = 10 and NZ = 15;
–set the domain to material 67 (water);
–LSWEEP = 200 ;
– Turn off the Energy Equation
–and finally make WIN = 0.01 m/s instead of 5 m/s
WORKSHOP NOTES – CONVERGENCE AND CONTROL #2
• Run EARTH.
• Inspect the RESULT file to check the assigned RESREF values.
variable resref
(res sum)/resref
P1 5.018E-04
4.528E-04
V1 1.213E-08
8.297E+03
W1 4.693E-06 7.178E+01
(res sum)
2.272E-07
1.006E-04
3.369E-04
• Can you give a physical meaning to them?
DOWNLOAD WKSH Q1
WORKSHOP #2 NOTE (1)
Whole-field residuals before solution with RESREF values determined by EARTH & RESFAC
= 1.00E-03 & TIME/(VARIABLES*CELLS*TSTEPS*SWEEPS*ITS = 9E-05 sec.
variable resref
(res sum)/resref
P1 5.018E-04
4.528E-04
V1 1.213E-08
8.297E+03
W1 4.693E-06 7.178E+01
(res sum)
2.272E-07
1.006E-04
3.369E-04
1- the 4th column means that the sum of residuals of pressure, for example, is nearly 2.3E-7
(kg/s). Similarly to the other variables.
2- The meaning of the 2nd column is a reference flux. Thus for pressure (mass conservation) it
is 5.0E-04 kg/s, and for V1 and W1 it is the mass flux times a reference velocity, 1.0E-08
kgm/s2 (N) and 4.7E-06 kgm/s2 (N).
3- How big or small these fluxes are? One have to compare against some characteristic value
of the problem.
4- Inlet mass flux = RHO1*WIN*H = 5 kg/s; W1 momentum flux = 5E-02 N, V1 momentum flux
(very small, boundary layer)
5- The mass imbalance (sum of residuals) is 2.3E-07 kg/s or 5-10 % of the mass inlet! If the run
had stopped at (res sum)/resref = 1, then the global mass imbalance would correspond to
0.01% of the mass inlet. The same reasoning applied to W1 and V1 one sees that the
residuals are far from satisfy the convergence criterion.
WORKSHOP NOTES – CONVERGENCE AND CONTROL #2
• Open q1 file and edit the following lines:
–SELREF=F
–RESREF(V1) = 5.0E-06 kg.m/s2 [N],
–RESREF(W1) = 5.0E-06 kg.m/s2 [N] and
–RESREF(P1) = 5.0E-04 kg/s.
• These changes can not be made using VR, you have to edit q1 file directly.
(there is a hint on editing in note 2). Compare with the actual ´run performance´
with the one from last case.
variable resref
(res sum)/resref
P1 5.018E-04
4.528E-04
V1 1.213E-08
8.297E+03
W1 4.693E-06 7.178E+01
(res sum)
2.272E-07
1.006E-04
3.369E-04
WORKSHOP #2 NOTE (2)
• Edit GROUP 15 in q1 file using the notepad:
************************************************************
Group 15. Terminate Sweeps
LSWEEP = 200
RESREF(P1 ) = 5.000000E-04 ;RESREF(V1 ) = 5.000000E-06
RESREF(W1 ) = 5.000000E-06; SELREF = F
•Save and close notepad
•DO NOT FORGET: RELOAD WORKING FILE
•Whole-field residuals with resref values set by the user
variable resref
(res sum)/resref (res sum)
P1
5.000E-04
5.016E-04
2.508E-07
V1
5.000E-06
3.409E+01
1.704E-04
W1
5.000E-06
1.758E+02
8.788E-04
•The criteria to stop V1 was eased. As a consequence the solution for W1 got
worse probably because the V1 residuals were too coarse.
• One may use the SELREF =T or decide by himself the reference residuals,
this is the most important convergence criterion.
2. PROMOTING & ACHIEVING
CONVERGENCE
• What if your numerical solution blows up?
• What if the residuals of your numerical solution does not
fall bellow a specified threshold value ?
• Phoenics has several commands to control the numerical
convergency rate which are represented by :
1. Control of the number of iteration per variable and
the termination criteria;
2. The prescription for a variable of the range of values
it can take;
3. The use of relaxation;
ASSESING
CONVERGENCE
• There are several guidelines to follow and observe when trying to assess
whether a run has converged or not. These are:
• Have the values at the monitor point stopped changing?
• Have the residuals reached the cut-off point, or reduced by several orders
of magnitude in any case?
• Do the sums of sources printed in the RESULT file balance?
• Are plots taken from PHI files dumped, say 200, sweeps apart essentially
identical?
• If the answers the first three questions are all yes, then the run has almost
definitely converged. The fourth test can be used just to make sure, if you
are not convinced. Intermediate PHI files can be dumped from the EARTH
interrupt, or by appropriate settings in the Q1.
2.1 - MATRIX SOLVER CONTROLER:
NUMBER OF ITERATIONS PER VARIABLE
AND
TERMINATION CRITERIA
MATRIX SOLVER CONTROLER:
NUMBER OF ITERATIONS PER VARIABLE AND TERMINATION CRITERIA
Each variable is visited by the solver LITER times
Initial data &
Boundary Conditions
before the solver moves to the next one.
LITER(phi)....maximum number of iterations which
for the variable phi, when such a solver is being
LITER
ENDIT
Solver V1
employed for it.
Solver TEM1
ENDIT----- Real array; default= 1.E-3; Satellite Help When greater than zero, ENDIT influences the
Solver P1
(mass conserved field)
termination of iterations in the built-in linear-
equation solver by requiring that, before
termination can occur, the average change of value
is less than ENDIT times the average change at the
first iteration (unless LITER iterations have been
performed).
Compare residuals
against a reference
End
Sweep
Solver U1
are to be performed by the linear-equation solver
MATRIX SOLVER CONTROLER:
NUMBER OF ITERATIONS PER VARIABLE AND TERMINATION CRITERIA
The convergence process is interactive. The solver visits one variable at a
time.
Therefore is not necessary to get a error free solution at the beginning of the
process since the other variables are not fully converged. This means:
• LITER large will demand large machine time to get a solution;
• LITER small probably will not guarantee a converged solution since the
intermediate solutions are not well resolved;
• ENDIT small will use all the sweeps specified in the LITER;
• ENDIT big will cause the solver leave the variable without a ´reasonable´
solution;
VR SETTINGS UNDER NUMERICS ENTRY
2.2 - MATRIX SOLVER CONTROLER:
LIMITING THE RANGE OF VALUES
VARIABLE CONTROL
LIMITING THE RANGE OF VALUES (GROUP 18)
• A variable can be prevented from overshooting, during the iteration
procedure, the range of physically-realistic values by using the PIL
commands VARMIN (variable) and VARMAX(variable) to prescribe that
range.
• Then, PHOENICS will use those values as lower and upper bounds for the
field of the variable. It is usefull for solved variables such as Turbulent
Kinetic Energy and Dissipation which have always positive values!
•The use of VARMIN and VARMAX is not limited to solved for variables; it
can also be used with any STOREd one.
• For example, after STOREing the density or the turbulent viscosity,
VARMIN can be used to avoid negative values during the iteration process.
• Note, however, that if any values are left at VARMIN or VARMAX in the
converged flow-field, the flow is NOT converged. The limits must be eased,
and the run continued.
VR SETTINGS UNDER NUMERICS ENTRY & q1 COMMAND LINES
2.3 - MATRIX SOLVER CONTROLER:
RELAXATION (very important)
• Relaxation is a commonly-used device that
promotes convergence by "slowing down"
("relaxing") the (sometimes excessive) changes
made to the values of the variable during the
solution procedure.
RELAXATION
Initial data &
Boundary Conditions
• Relaxation involves, therefore, changing the values
obtained from the solution algorithm, so that they
are closer to the pre-existing ones.
Sweep
• How the values are changed gives rise to two kinds
of relaxation:
Solver U1
1.Linear relaxation
• However, before proceeding with the discussion, it
must be stressed that relaxation does NOT change
the converged solution, but only the RATE at which
the solution is achieved.
Solver TEM1
Solver P1
(mass conserved field)
2.False time-step (or inertial) relaxation
• Both options are available in PHOENICS (PIL group
17 or the menu), and their activation is discussed
next.
Solver V1
relax
Compare residuals
against a reference
End
1. Linear Relaxation
When linear relaxation is applied to a variable f, the new value fnew for the
variable at each cell is taken as:
fnew = (1 - a) fold + a f*
where: fold is the current in-store value, resulting from the previous
iteration; and f* is the value which results from the current iteration; and
a is the relaxation factor.
Obviously:
if a = 0, then fnew = fold (i.e., no change at all)
if a = 1, then fnew = f*
(i.e., no relaxation at all)
The PHOENICS command to activate linear relaxation for a variable is:
RELAX( f , LINRLX , a )
2. False-Time-Step Relaxation
False-time-step relaxation results from adding to the RHS of the
FVE an extra term:
where: fP is the cell-value of to be computed, f is the cell-value
of resulting from the previous iteration, V is the cell volume and
dtf is a user-set false-time-step
• Large values of dtf, the added extra term is negligible, and
the solution of the equation is the same as the unrelaxed one.
• Small values of dtf, the solution is
change at all).
(i.e., no
•The name false-time-step arouse because the extra added
term has the same form as the one resulting from the
transient term even if the problem is steady state.
False-Time-Step Relaxation - cont
• dtf can be set finding a characteristic time scale of the phenomena:
Convective time scale:
dtf ~ L/U
Difusive time scale:
dtf ~ L2 /n
• The PHOENICS command to activate linear relaxation for a variable is:
RELAX ( f , FALSDT , time-step ) where time-step = dtf.
VR SETTINGS UNDER NUMERICS ENTRY & q1 COMMAND LINES
Expert Systems to Achieve Fast Convergency
• EXPERT: A set of 'auto-pilot' devices have been introduced which make
'in- flight' adjustments to the numerical parameters (such as relaxation
factors) in order to speed up the convergence of the solution procedure.
Look after the Encyclopedia to activate Expert.
• SARAH (Self-Adjusting Relaxation AlgoritHm): Much in the same way
that EARTH can calculate normalising factors for residuals when
SELREF=T based on sums of fluxes, it can also calculate average timescales for each variable. Look after the Encyclopedia to activate Expert.
• CONWIZ (Convergency Wizard): is a feature of PHOENICS 3.6 which
is designed to ensure that PHOENICS solutions will converge,
whenever the input data are sufficient and self-consistent. See entry at
Encyclopedia
2.4 – WORKSHOP ON CONTROLING CONVERGENCY
WORKSHOP #3 – CONVERGENCE AND CONTROL
• Reload 2D rectangular channel flow .
•Set the Auto Converg Control to OFF
• Set FALSDT to W1 and V1 to 1
• Set SWEEPS to 600
•-------------------------------------------•Comments:
• The residuals are lower than previous case.
• Return to the Auto-Convergence mode.
• Set the reference velocity and scale to: 0.01m/s & 0.5m and
run again the case.
DOWNLOAD WKSH Q1
WORKSHOP #4 – CONVERGENCE AND CONTROL
• Load core library case 252. This case
deals with natural convection in an
annular cavity.
• At the OUTPUT box activate the graphics
monitor convergence; TSTSWP = -1
• At the NUMERICS box change the sweeps
from 150 to 600; LSWEEP = 600
• After you completed these changes run
EARTH. The solution must converge
within the 300 sweeps.
WORKSHOP NOTES – CONVERGENCE AND CONTROL #1
•THE DANGER OF OVER-RELAXATION
•Now change the relaxation settings of U1, V1 and H1 to FALSDT
= 1.0E+04 and watch the monitor plots (see NOTE 2 for help if
you need).
• In many cases even moderate amounts of relaxation can speed
up convergence dramatically. In other cases, it is the only
difference between convergence and divergence!
WORKSHOP NOTES – CONVERGENCE AND CONTROL
THE DANGERS OF UNDER RELAXATION
• Run the case again. This time put in extremely heavy
relaxation (FALSDT = 1.0E-8) and see how the solution
behaves. Can you explain this behavior? See note 3 if you
need help.
• Answer: you have introduced so much relaxation that the momentum
equations can no longer change themselves. Pressure correction is still
active, and will change the velocities so as to satisfy continuity. The P1
residual will therefore be very low, but the velocity residuals will be high
and stuck. Setting FALSDT to 1.0E-8 is an extremely heavy under
relaxation which will probably freeze the variables.
ADDTIONAL REMARKS
• When divergence occurs it is necessary to establish the cause. It
may be found in the strength of the linkages between two or more
sets of equations, which are being solved. in turn rather than
simultaneously.
• For example in Free Convection heat transfer is a strongly coupled
with the energy and the velocity field. They influence each other and
may be a common source of divergence.
• Whether it is or not THE source in a particular case can be
established by ´freezing´ the temperature field before the divergence
has progressed too far and seeing if the divergence persists.
• If it DOES NOT, the velocity-temperature link can be regarded as the
source of divergence; otherwise the cause must be sought in some
other linkage.
PLAYING WITH RELAXATION
• Explore how different choices of relaxation factors affect the
required number of SWEEPS to get convergence.
• Fill in the Table below
P1
V1
U1
H1
-1
1
1
1
AUTO
AUTO
AUTO
AUTO
-1
2
2
10
-1
200
200
100
-1
0.1
0.1
0.1
SWEEPS
CHANGING THE RESFAC
• Objective: evaluate the number of sweeps necessary to get
CONVERGENCY by changing the RESFAC
• Fill in the Table below
1%
0.1%
0.01%
0.001%
N. SWEEPS
SWEEPS
RESFAC
400
300
200
100
0
0.001
0.01
0.1
RESFAC (%)
1
PLAYING WITH LITER
• Explore how different choices of LITER affect the required
number of SWEEPS and the CPU time to get convergence.
• Use RESFAC = 0.1% and ENDIT = 1E-3
• Fill in the Table below
P1
V1
U1
H1
20
10
10
20
30
20
20
30
10
5
5
10
2
1
1
2
SWEEPS
CPU
Time/Var
LAST REMARK ON ‘CONVERGENCE
NEGLIGIBLE RESIDUALS’
AND
• After applying the available tools to access convergence
and negligible residuals with no success consider REVIEW
YOUR GRID.
 Try to work with coarse grids at start and then
progressively refine them.
 Be alert to flow regions with steep gradients, typical of
Boundary Layer. Try to refine the grid on these regions to
capture the steep gradients.
 Avoid working with grids exhibiting large aspect ratios, i.e.
larger than 20:1
END
PLAYING WITH RELAXATION
• Explore how different choices of relaxation factors affect the
required number of SWEEPS to get convergence.
• Fill in the Table below
P1
V1
U1
H1
SWEEPS
-1
1
1
1
240
AUTO
AUTO
AUTO
AUTO
569
-1
2
2
10
54
-1
200
200
100
no conv
-1
0.1
0.1
0.1
too slow
CHANGING THE RESFAC
• Objective: evaluate the number of sweeps necessary to get
CONVERGENCY by changing the RESFAC
• Fill in the Table below
1%
0.1%
0.01%
0.001%
N. SWEEPS
SWEEPS
RESFAC
400
300
200
100
0
0.001
0.01
0.1
RESFAC (%)
1
PLAYING WITH LITER
• Explore how different choices of LITER affect the required
number of SWEEPS and the CPU time to get convergence.
• Use RESFAC = 0.1% and ENDIT = 1E-3
• Fill in the Table below
P1
V1
U1
H1
SWEEPS
CPU
Time/Var
20
10
10
20
240
2
2.08x10-5
30
20
20
30
238
2
2.10x10-5
10
5
5
10
245
2
2.04x10-5
2
1
1
2
260
5
4.80x10-5